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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25428625">Not as bad as it seems</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pment/pseuds/pment'>pment</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bonding, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Introspection, Legend and Tetra bond with Wind as the catalyst, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:07:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25428625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pment/pseuds/pment</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Late one night on Tetra’s pirate ship, Legend and Tetra talk about their favorite sailor as Legend thinks about the ocean and all the ways it isn’t as bad as he might want it to be.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Legend &amp; Wind (Linked Universe), Link &amp; Tetra (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not as bad as it seems</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! Thanks for clicking on this! I recently finished playing Link's awakening on the switch and I have some feels. Also had some feels about WW too since its basically my fav. loz game. Not 100 percent sure what sparked this particular idea/story but well...its here. so. </p>
<p>Enjoy and thanks for reading! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was late at night when Legend woke up. He was hoping the waves and the water and the aching memories his heart wouldn't forget would be gone by now but well... he never did have the best of luck, did he?</p>
<p>He woke surrounded by his found family. All the Links from the past, the future and the sideways time-streams he couldn't wrap his head around. A new family he’d never imagine having before now. Never imagined deserving. Hyrule had his face scrunched up and back pressed up against Legend. Wolfie, or Twilight really, was on his other side. They boxed him in a protective cocoon of warmth. </p>
<p>Legend’s head felt fuzzy and thick from sleep as he tried to remember how this situation happened. He remembered the group ending up in Wind’s Hyrule...or Great Sea or whatever. He remembered his Zelda’s-or rather his <em>Tetra’s</em> ship finding them and bringing them aboard. He remembered the violent seas causing him to grow sick and weak and <em>vulnerable</em> in ways he hadn’t been in years…</p>
<p>Legend figured he must of passed out at some point and with the darkened cabin, it must of become night while he was sleeping. It was the only way he could make sense of being alone one minute and waking up surrounded by friends the next. </p>
<p>As he sat up, blanket falling off him, he saw Wild and Four using Wolfie as a pillow with Wild having a protective arm around their shortest and the both using Time's legs as their foot rest. Time himself was propped up against the wooden wall, arms crossed and chin touching his chest, breaths even and deep.</p>
<p>On the other side, Warriors mirrored their eldest, with his scarf haphazardly sprawled out enough so Hyrule could clutch onto it like a kid. Sky further away just barely was drooling on Warriors as he used his shoulder as a pillow. </p>
<p>It was a picturesque scene, Legend was sure. If he could, he’d take a picture but he settled for burning it into his memory. A whole bunch of back problems for the morning too by the looks of it all. And yet...</p>
<p>Where was their young little sailor?</p>
<p>Legend shimmied his way slowly out of the cuddlefest happening around him, careful not to disturb any of them. He wanted to come back to this warmth after all. As much of a grump as he was, it was nice to be surrounded by so many people who cared about him. Destroying it would destroy his chance at that ever happening. </p>
<p>He snuck around the group. Wolfie-Twilight-raised his head, a light thump of tail as Legend pressed a firm hand on his head. As he was waved off, Wolfie settled back down too. As soon as he navigated his way out, he met with another obstacle.  </p>
<p>They weren't alone in this ship. And the pirates of Tetra's crew seemed just like their rag tag family. </p>
<p>For the life of him, Legend couldn't remember their names- he’d blame the sea sickness, but Tetra and Wind's pirate friends were just as cuddled together as the pile Legend crawled out of. Their bodies mixed and mingled in seemingly uncomfortable ways, but their deep breaths and light snores told otherwise. </p>
<p>Legend slipped past them, silent as ever, on a new adventure to find that bright child both crews were missing. </p>
<p>And find him he did. </p>
<p>Up up and up the tall mainmast, he saw them; two pairs of tiny feet dangling through the slotted holes up in the crow’s nest.</p>
<p>The sailor and his captain. </p>
<p>As much as the thought burned him up, Legend really had slept the day away. He got off on any and all work to be done because of the tricks and memories his mind played back to him and the weakness of his body that left him sorely incapacitated for the trip. </p>
<p>As he started to climb the ladder, the air grew colder around him. He was never one to mooch off others’ work and yet he slept the day away and did. Legend knew he couldn't go back to that warm cuddle pile below. Not after deciding he was gonna have to take the place of these two kids. </p>
<p>His head popped up and there he saw it. The most adorable scene ever. Enough to nearly make him sick again.</p>
<p>Their little sailor with his perfectly calm sleeping face rested on the sturdy shoulder of a princess captain whose eyes only showed complete and utter contentment.</p>
<p>"Wish I had brought Wild's slate thing," He couldn't help but mutter. </p>
<p>Tetra's sharp eyes snapped to him. Their softness vanished instantly to glare at him before looking away in a huff. </p>
<p>"Oh it's you," Her voice was barely louder than the wind. "Ya feeling better then?" He nodded despite her not looking. </p>
<p>Legend finished climbing and sat criss-cross next to Tetra as he leaned against the pole, letting himself get lost in the sight of the ocean reflected in the moonless sky. </p>
<p>Such a clear and calm night...</p>
<p>"Why don't you two go head off. I can take over from here."</p>
<p>"Sure ya won't lose yer breakfast again?" He snorted in response. </p>
<p>"If I do, at least this time no one will be watching me."</p>
<p>A soft chuckle followed. But the silence dragged on for minutes afterwards. Legend sighed. </p>
<p>"Seriously. I got this. You two should go sleep. Or you should at least." Tetra still stared ahead. Legend peeked at her from the side and got a mirror look of his own Zelda. A kid with too much responsibility; too young to be a ruler...or a captain at that. Tetra hid it well, sure, but Legend saw through it. Her and Wind both...they were too young for all of this.</p>
<p>Her hand came up and started to run itself through the mop that was Wind's hair.</p>
<p>"You’re treating him good, right? If I find out ya aren't-"</p>
<p>"Don't worry." Legend knew what she was gonna say. "If anything happened to that one, I'd kill everyone on this ship and then myself." </p>
<p>She scoffed in agreement. </p>
<p>"He's got that effect on everyone, huh? Glad it wasn’t just me." </p>
<p>Soft crashes from waves' crests filled the air between the two as they smiled in the same way. The stars were brightest here among the darkness the sea and the moon less sky brought and it painfully reminded Legend of all the beauty that still came with the ocean and the sea. Despite his painful memories, despite the aches he still got when salty air and water splashed onto his face or the shivers he got when rain made the water angry; Legend could always convince himself that the ocean wasn’t...it wasn’t as <em>bad </em>as he wished it was. It wasn’t the ocean he was bitter towards...wasn’t even the Windfish. It was just so much easier to see the death the ocean <em>could</em> bring rather than the beauty and peace it equally did. Like the peace now that calmed him after a restless day of seasickness and pain. The stars spread out like they were flicked from a paintbrush above him, the crisp air filling him with energy, the soft waves steadying his heartbeat...it all did wonders to make him breathe in richly and breathe out deeply.</p>
<p>It was truly the most unbelievably irritating thing Legend had ever known.</p>
<p>"You know...." Tetra's voice was quieter now, a hum of a whisper Legend had to strain to hear. "When I first met Link, I thought, 'Great. Another kid I'll have to watch die cuz they don’t know jack shit about the sea.'" She sighed and when Legend peered over at the two, he saw her still carding her hand through Wind's hair, keeping pace absentmindedly.</p>
<p>She shook her head. "I was so so <em>so</em> wrong about 'im." A shift from Wind and she smiled. "I bet he never told ya but only after a few days of knowing ‘im, I blasted ‘im in a barrel into a heavily guarded monster fortress and left as soon as I could." </p>
<p>Legend couldn't help the snort. Tetra shot him a look that dripped with unconvincing and harmless anger. </p>
<p>"Did he make a face? I hope you got a picture, that kid's got the best reactions." </p>
<p>To his credit, Tetra flashed the most devilish smirk. </p>
<p>"I definitely wish I did." She turned serious once more as her mannerism continued. "No...no I left thinking he died.” She shrugged. “Another kid, another day, you know. When he showed back up again, ready to put up a fight and actually having' a decent pair of sea legs on 'im, I..." </p>
<p>She petered off as Wind shifted and fell in her lap, snuggling close to her and sighing with heavy relief and comfort.</p>
<p>"I was impressed. I didn't wanna show but I...I was really happy too."</p>
<p>She sighed. Legend let her have the free air to breathe and keep speaking. </p>
<p>"It's not easy being a Pirate Captain and getting others to respect you or your crew when you're just a kid, you know?" Legend could imagine. "So...so seein' Link just <em>do</em> things...things like surviving monster fortresses and sailin' like he'd been born for it and savin' people like it was his damn <em>job</em>...it made me so happy thinkin' I wasn't the alone...like I wasn't alone doing something so big and adult-like." Again, she sighed. </p>
<p>"I...I dunno why I'm telling you this...maybe I'm just hopin'...hopin' you know how special he is. How downright foolish and selfless and cocky he is. How..." Her voice reached even quieter and if Legend was someone else he wouldn't have heard her.</p>
<p>"How much he means to all of us here...To me..." </p>
<p>A clearing of her throat and Legend jumped. </p>
<p>"I warning ya puke face,"</p>
<p>"Oh Goddess, please don't call me that."</p>
<p>"If anything happens to this shithead, if even his damn smile is off and not as bright after y'all take him and go save the world or worlds' or whatever, I-" Tetra huffed as she pouted in such a childish yet serious way, "I won't hesitate to find an Octorok as big as my ship and feed ya to him! All of you.Got it?” </p>
<p>Her fury turned to him full force, eyes a dangerously bright and intense color that Legend couldn't look away from if he tried. He could only nod. </p>
<p>"Yes, Ma'am." </p>
<p>She smirked smugly and looked away, content with his answer. </p>
<p>"He means a lot to us too, you know?" </p>
<p>"Yea. I see it." To Legend’s cocked eyebrow, she huffed out a laugh. "Don't think I don't see the way ya look at him. Like a child sure, but not like he's incapable. Ya look at him like he's..."</p>
<p>"A younger brother?" </p>
<p>A soft smile. "Family. Yea." The waves once again filled their silence. Legend didn’t let it last this time.</p>
<p>"Alright then." He clapped his hands together. Wind jolted in his sleep. He bolted upright and dazed. Tetra merely rolled her eyes. "Out. The both of you. I wanna drown in my own thoughts."</p>
<p>"Poor word choice, puke face." Tetra laughed. </p>
<p>"Wha-?"  Wind mumbled.</p>
<p>"A melodramatic shit like me needs his alone time. Go." </p>
<p>And forcibly (or not so much as Tetra conceded and sleep still dulled Wind's fight), Legend pushed the two barely teens down the ladder and hopefully off to bed. </p>
<p>In the morning, the crew and the Links' would find the pair snuggled together in the open doored captain's quarters, looking cuter than the sky was blue. Wild would take pictures and neither Wind nor Tetra would live it down...and neither really minded going by the blush on their faces when it was brought up.</p>
<p>But for now Legend smiled at the forgotten treasures of the pair, a blanket and a telescope, and let himself spend the rest of the night getting more familiar in all the ways the ocean still made him happy. In all the ways it wasn’t as bad as he wanted it to be.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi again! Just wanted to end this with my own commentary on my point of view here. I used to get major motion sickness from vehicles and it went away after an event in my childhood, so I'd like to think in the same way my motion sickness could disappear, a sea sickness could appear. After everything Legend went through I'd say its very likely that he'd get that as a result. </p>
<p>Also I'd say if he was more honest, Legend would admit it isn't the Ocean or the sea or even the Windfish he has bad feelings or memories about, more just bitter that any of it had to happen at all. That's not to say I think he regrets meeting/falling in love with Marin or regret ever waking the Windfish up, but more like he has mixed feelings about why it had to have happened to him and play out the way it did. Sorta like when someone gets hurt in an accident. You can put the blame and anger on any part leading up to the accident, the accident itself or even the fallout of the said accident but it doesn't make the situation suck less or the person in question any less hurt. It's just sorta like a thing that happened and the floating feelings have no where to go. I'd like to think that's whats always playing in Legend's head: that it was no one's fault really but all those feelings he had/still has have no where to go now and there's nothing for him to do about it. Which sucks. </p>
<p>I wanted this to be more Wind focused but it didn't turn out that way...at all? Like not even close. But I'm happy about it regardless. ^_^ Thanks for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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